Hello (East Africa Campaign and No.615 Squadron)

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by ajcrou, Sep 10, 2018.

  1. ajcrou

    ajcrou New Member

    First, sorry for my bad english (I am French).

    I registered on the forum, there is about a year looking for information (in this case, concerning Sergeant Francis H. Banfield, of No.203 Squadron, thanks to the help of a member of your forum), but without ever posted (and forgetting my registration...), so I correct this error.

    For the last few years (four years), I have been doing research on Air Operations during the East Africa Campaign. For now, I mainly studied the period June - December 1940 (part is available on my website). Unfortunately, this work is difficult because of the very limited documentations (and sometimes absent) on the subject. Unfortunately, I had to interrupt this research for personal reasons (for two years) before starting to work on it again this summer. So I hope I can find some information (documents?) missing through this forum.

    In parallel, I am also interested in the history of No.615 Squadron. I work on the subject only since a few months, and I am mainly interested in the presence of the Squadron in France between 1939 and May 1940. Unfortunately, again, the documentation is very small (the ORB of No.615 Squadron is reduced to 2 pages for the period 10 - 20 May with several errors or omissions). I'am trying, in particular, to find a way to get a copy of casualties files related (in TNA), in the hope of finding additional details.

    Regards,
    Alexis
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  3. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    615 Squadron - Middle/Far East?

    Flying Officer Frank Fahy - 615 Squadron , India

    National Archives various dates 615 Sqd

    Reference: AIR 27/2125
    Reference: AIR 27/2687
    Reference: AIR 27/2713/3
    Reference: AIR 27/2523
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/18
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/73
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/57
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/51
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/8
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/52
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/12
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/50
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/25
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/53
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/4
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/56
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/62
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/69
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/13
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/54
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/67
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/43
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/61
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/47
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/17
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/23
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/65
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/72
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/10
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/41
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/21
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/3
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/14
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/2
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/1
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/70
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/48
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/22
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/7
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/49
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/55
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/1
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/6
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/19
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/30
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/39
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/2
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/17
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/58
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/18
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/16
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/11
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/12
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/13
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/40
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/68
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/27
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/9
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/27
    Reference AIR 27/2124/24
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/45
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/15
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/34
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/16
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/35
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/64
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/42
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/33
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/6
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/22
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/38
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/24
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/20
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/66
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/32
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/28
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/13
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/40
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/68
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/27
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/9
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/27
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/24
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/19
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/71
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/4
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/75
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/37
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/5
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/21
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/14
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/10
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/60
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/26
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/25
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/36
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/7
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/11
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/26
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/15
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/8
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/63
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/59
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/74
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/20
    Reference: AIR 27/2123/5
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/29
    Reference: AIR 27/2124/3

    Kyle
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  4. ajcrou

    ajcrou New Member

    Thank you for this information, although for now, I have not planned to study the period during which the Squadron is deployed in the Far East.

    I am mainly trying to focus on the Battle of France / Battle of Britain period and the year 1941 when several French pilots were present in No.615 Squadron.

    I already have the full ORB; unfortunately the period of the Battle of France (10 - 20 May 1940) is very little documented. The ORB is limited to two pages for these 10 days of fighting and many events lack details. The few books available, for example: Battle of France, Then and Now (Peter D. Cornwell) or Twelwes Days in May (Brian Cull) often offer contradictory information on operations.
    I managed to find some Cassualties files in TNA which bring some new details ..., unfortunately I stiff need seven other files about the losses (and, I do not currently have the possibility to move in London), hoping to find other details.

    I have already tried to summarize some of these operations on my website ( Section 2 : Battle of France (10 – 20 May 1940) ), but it still lacks a lot of details to have a correct summary of the events.
     
  5. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Alexis,
    There are good people on here who offer a copying service from the National Archives? I posted a random list just to illustrate what is available? Why not check out the files and any you need contact one of the lads regarding having them copied for you.
    615 Casualties to aid members on here ;-

    HENRY CLEMSON Aircraftman 1st Class 819085 Sunday, January 21, 1940 Age 23 DOUAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY Row L. Grave 3. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)United Kingdom
    [​IMG]

    REGINALD ERNEST PARFITT Aircraftman 1st Class 524625 Wednesday, March 6, 1940 Age 24 DOUAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY Row L. Grave 8. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force United Kingdom
    [​IMG]

    LEVIN FREDMAN Flying Officer 90405 Sunday, May 12, 1940 Age 21 WIHOGNE CHURCHYARD Grave 9. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)United Kingdom
    (I am aware that you have the following link but this may aid others?)
    May 12 1940 – The death of Flying Officer Levin Fredman and the nine year search to find out what happened

    [​IMG]
    Graf F/O Levin Fredman, Hurricane I KW- P2564 615 Sq | Hangar Flying
    LESLIE THOMAS WING THORNLEY Flight Lieutenant 90398 Thursday, May 16, 1940 Age 26 RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Panel 5. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)United Kingdom

    PETER NORMAN MURTON-NEALE Flying Officer 90401 Tuesday, May 14, 1940 Age 23 COURRIERE CHURCHYARD South East Corner. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)United Kingdom
    (On 13 May 1940 departed from airbase Abbeville in France, the Hawker Hurricane L2035 of No. 615 Squadron RAF. The aircraft was shot down over Belgium by a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter of the Luftwaffe ZG1 (Zerstörergeschwader 1). The device then crashed down into Courrière. The one day difference between the crash and the date of death on the tombstone is unknown.)
    (Commonwealth War Grave Churchyard Courrière - Courrière - TracesOfWar.com
    [​IMG]

    Kyle
     
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  6. ajcrou

    ajcrou New Member

    Thanks,

    I did not have the references of the files concerning Clermson and Parfitt. Completing the latter, I had only found the following mention in the ORB : "fell into the canal at night and was drowned".
     

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